Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-02-Speech-4-007"
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"en.20060202.3.4-007"2
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".
Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@en1
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